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Laviolette to coach U.S. at World Championship

Peter Laviolette has been named coach of the United States Men's National Team that will compete at the 2014 IIHF World Championship in Minsk, Belarus beginning next month, USA Hockey announced Tuesday.

Laviolette, who will be coaching the U.S. for the third time, will be assisted by Joe Sacco, Phil Housley and Don Granato. The Americans are coming off a bronze medal in 2013.

Laviolette, 49, was coach for the U.S. at the World Championship in 2004 and 2005, guiding the Americans to the bronze medal in 2004. He was coach for the U.S. at the 2006 Torino Olympics and served as an assistant to Dan Bylsma at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Laviolette served as an assistant coach for the U.S. in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, where it reached the semifinal round. Laviolette appeared in the 1988 and 1994 Winter Olympics as a player, serving as captain in Lillehammer in 1994.

When Laviolette opened this season as coach, he joined Fred Shero as the only men in Flyers history to coach them in a fifth season. Shero lasted seven seasons and won the Stanley Cup in 1974 and 1975.

Laviolette is 389-282-88 in 12 seasons as an NHL coach with the New York Islanders, Hurricanes and Flyers.

A native of Franklin, Mass., Laviolette played 11 seasons of professional hockey, mostly in the American Hockey League and International Hockey League, and appeared in 12 games with the New York Rangers in 1988-89.